Hi Carrie Ann,

I bought my Black Boar AS-7 new, in the late 1980's or very early 1990's. The wood is the most beautiful I have seen in any cue. The ivory inlays are absolutely stunning but, not elaborate. The compression fit of the joint amazes me every time I look at it when I assemble or disassemble the cue. I still carry it in the It's George case I purchased at the same time.
I started playing pool in 1961 in a little pub called the Rack Room in Langhorne, Pa. It has since changed to a family recreation facility which unfortunately to me, is just not the same. I was eight years old at the time and the owner would let us in on Saturday mornings before they opened for business and started serving alcohol. I was immediately hooked on the game. Four years later, my father bought me a pool table for  Christmas. I think his intentions were to keep me out of a disreputable place. That gift just made it more of an addiction. On my 16th birthday in 1969, my older brother bought me the first custom cue I owned. The maker was Doc Frye, out of Feasterville, Pa. Along with the pool table, that cue was the joy of my life. Why wouldn't it be? Totally hand made from my own neighborhood. I flunked out of my first year of college because, I spent all of my time playing pool in the college recreation center. I did go back and did very well but, all of my spare time was spent in pool halls. I have owned a number of custom made cues and I still have them all. I loved them, until I bought the Black Boar. None of them have the feel of my AS-7. Craig is right. It is the difference between driving a Taurus and a Testarossa. It is truly an instrument and not just a piece of wood. All of the cues I own are beautiful but, they are not playing cues. I play with them once in a while but, I just have a stick when I use them. The Black Bore is the only cue I actually play with. I have been using the Double Fulcrum stroke for as long as I can remember. The combination of that stroke and the finest cue in the world is one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had. The AS-7 only came with one shaft but, I was lucky enough to find a brand new one in a pool hall in Conshohocken, Pa. I bought it on the spot. The shafts are extremely rare and I feel very lucky to have found the second shaft. I realize that I have a very early model but,as Craig stated, it is a work of engineering genius. Tony is the best cue maker in the world. I would love to play with a newer model. It is really hard for me to imagine that it would play better than mine, even with all the technological changes Tony has made in the creation of his cues.
Your web site is fabulous. It is difficult to find information on Tony's cues. I have spent hours perusing the site and will continue to do so. Tony has a lot of the same interests that I do. Motorcycles(Japanese GP bikes), guns(Single Action Colt Revolvers) and billiards. It is a real pleasure to learn more about Tony and his cue technology. Now I have all the information as to why I love my Black Boar so much.

Ron